Animation is an art-form with limitless potential. In a time before big-budget special effects, cartoons were the best medium for the unreal to come alive. Even computer generated imagery, which lets us juxtapose reality with the fantastic, is a form of animation. And since this mode of entertainment has spread to so many places in our lives, it's probably worth paying attention to. That's what this blog is for.

My name is Jason, and you might have seen me around io9 as a cultural fellow for the past six months. Before that I studied creative writing (and Italian) at the University of Arizona while writing (and editing) for the Arizona Daily Wildcat. I love (and write) science fiction and fantasy, and am deeply entrenched in what a lot of people call nerd culture. But most importantly, my childhood roots are in animation.

Advertisement

Like many people, I grew up watching cartoons. Unlike many — though perhaps like you — I never stopped. As a '90s kid, I started with a mixture of Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney. When I got older, I got into anime, dabbled in some cartoons that came before my time, and started watching more grown up material. And now I'm going to write about all the characters I grew up loving and those I love today.

Here you'll find everything from news about the genre to awesome videos from around the Internet. There will be stories about what makes animation such an amazing method of storytelling, and as an io9 sub-site I'd be remiss not to have a fair share of superlists. Plus, since animation is about the visuals, there will be plenty of gorgeous art for you to feast your eyes upon.

As for what animation encompasses, it's pretty open ended. TV shows and movies are obviously the staples, but anything on the Internet is fair game. Animation will cover stories we think you'll like, which can range from things like Archer, to Adventure Time, to the latest Pixar flick. And while Kotaku is still your go to place for comprehensive anime coverage, Animation will pay its due tribute (as you can see from the picture).

Advertisement

So thanks for stopping by, and I hope you stick around. Even better, if you think there's something I should be talking about, feel free to email me at Jason@io9.com. Either way, my aim is to make this blog the best source for all things animation, and I won't stop until it is!